A chuhai is a Japanese highball made with shochu, soda water, and a flavoring, usually fruit juice, syrup, or tea. Grapefruit is one of the most popular versions, and this one comes together in five minutes with just three ingredients.
What Is a Chuhai?
If you’ve spent any time in a Tokyo izakaya, you already know the chuhai. It’s the drink locals reach for when a full cocktail feels like too much and a beer feels like too little. The name comes from squashing together “shochu” and “highball,” and that’s exactly what it is: a shochu highball, built with soda water and whatever fruit, syrup, or tea you fancy that day.
It was born out of necessity just after the Second World War, when good spirits were scarce and shochu (often rough, home-distilled stuff back then) needed something to soften it. Soda water did the trick, and the chuhai has been a fixture of Japanese drinking culture ever since. Today’s shochu is far better quality, which makes the drink even easier to love. Grapefruit is one of the most popular flavors in Japan for good reason. It’s bright, a little bitter, and never cloying.
Variations
- Swap the grapefruit for yuzu, lemon, or shiso for a different flavor, all common at Japanese izakayas
- Add a splash of green tea or hojicha for a more savory, tannic edge
- No shochu on hand? A light, clean vodka gets you close, though it won’t have shochu’s earthy character
- For a “strong” style chuhai, use a slightly heavier pour of shochu, the same way Japanese convenience store cans mark their high-ABV versions
Serving Tips
Build it in a tall highball glass over plenty of ice so it stays cold without getting watered down too fast. A wide grapefruit twist or slice does more for the aroma than you’d expect, so don’t skip the garnish. If you’re pouring for a group, this is an easy one to set up as a build-your-own station: shochu, a few juices, soda, and let everyone make their own.
If you like drinks in this easy, low-ABV register, our Asian rice wine and spirits guide with Marie Cheong-Thong is a great next stop, and our roundup of spritz cocktails covers a lot of the same “refreshing, low-effort” territory from a different angle.
FAQ
What kind of alcohol is in a chuhai?
Traditionally shochu, a Japanese distilled spirit usually bottled between 20 and 30% ABV, cut way down with soda water and juice so the finished drink lands closer to 5-9% ABV.
Can I make a chuhai without shochu?
You can use a light, neutral vodka in a pinch, though you’ll lose the earthy, slightly savory character that makes shochu worth seeking out in the first place.
Why Lush Life Loves It
No shaker, no syrup to make ahead, no fussy technique, just good shochu, fresh grapefruit juice, and soda, built straight in the glass. It sits at a lower ABV than most cocktails too, so it’s the kind of thing you can pour again without a second thought. We love that it rewards good ingredients (squeeze the grapefruit yourself if you can) without ever asking much of you in return.
Here is the recipe
Grapefruit Chuhai
Ingredients
- 1 measure of your favourite Shochu
- 1/2 Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- Soda water
- Grapefruit slice
Instructions
- Fill your glass with ice
- Add 1 measure of your favourite Shochu
- Add 1/2 Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- Then top with soda water
- Stir gently
- Garnish with a piece of grapefruit